Dr Shikigami's Monster
by OrionPax09
Summary: The Core Timeline is an amalgamation of chaos. The so-called real world has been overlapped with the realms of movies, comic books, anime, and more. Fanfictions have literally come to life. And Michiru Kururugi, aka Dr. Shikigami of Chicago's Extraordinary Avengers has been given a most...unusual mission...


Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, any of the characters or concepts depicted here, or anything associated with them. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Dr. Shikigami's Monster

(Note: This story is set shortly after the events in _Rise of the Extraordinary Avengers.)_

As the alt of Michiru Kururugi that had obtained the title of Sorcerer Supreme slowly woke up, he became aware of two warm, soft, yet well-muscled bodies. He was also aware of the sensation of soft fur brushing over his bare skin...and the face of the woman he had fallen for.

"Good morning, Sango," Michiru murmured as he studied the slumbering former Demon Slayer, now a Centurion of the Xandarian Nova Corps. Then he glanced back at the demonic feline that his magic had allowed to take on a humanoid form. "Morning, Kirara."

Neither female responded. Both were sound asleep, exhausted by their sensual efforts from the previous night. Feeling a warm glow of his own as he thought back to their lovemaking, Michiru gestured with his hand, manipulating the forces of magic he knew so well. The two women gently levitated away, still asleep as he reluctantly vacated their bed and stepped onto to the cold floor. Once this was done, he gingerly placed their nude forms back into bed while he set about his day.

 _First thing's first, breakfast,_ Michiru thought as he made his way to their good-sized and functional kitchen. _I know I can always have JARVIS make breakfast for us, but...I still like the taste of home cooking better._

With this is in mind, Michiru put his magic to work. Things like flour, milk, butter, rice, fish, and more danced out of the refrigerator and cupboards while the stove turned on. While this was going on, he put together a protein shake and downed it. And even as he mystically started cooking breakfast, he set about his morning workout.

To anybody just looking at him, it would appear that Michiru was just floating in mid-air with his legs crossed. But he was indeed exercising his muscles, using his magic to force them to contract and expand even more intensely that a traditional workout would. Breaking down the muscle fibers and then rebuilding them stronger than before.

 _And it's a good thing I came up with this. Practicing magic takes a lot of time,_ Michiru thought, recalling his intense studies under Dr. Strange. How much time and effort it had taken to take the natural affinity for magic granted him by his Shikigami and refine it to the level of skill and power that would make him worthy of the title of Sorcerer Supreme. _I don't know how else I could have avoided the Squishy Wizard trope._

Before long, Michiru's muscles were burning properly and he was soaked in sweat. With his morning exercise done, he conjured forth a horde of cleansing bubbles to wipe away the sweat and grime before downing another protein shake. Another gesture summoned the garments he had taken to wearing during his studies, and soon he was shrouded by the Cloak of Levitation and the amulet hiding the All-Seeing Eye of Agamotto hung about his neck. And all just in time for breakfast to be ready.

Satisfied with his preparations, Michiru opened his mouth to announce was breakfast was ready...only to be brought up short when he felt two kisses upon his cheeks. "Good morning, Michiru," Sango breathed as she wrapped her powerful arms around him, clad only in a simple bathrobe.

"I see breakfast is ready," Kirara purred as she eyed the fish. "Thank you for this...and the wonderful night."

 _"Especially_ the wonderful night," Sango added with a wry grin.

Feeling his cheeks flush somewhat, Michiru smiled and responded, "You're welcome, but...I think I should be the one thanking the both of you."

"Then let us think of it as a...mutually satisfying team effort," Kirara declared with a cat-like smile. "Now come. Let's have breakfast."

As the two indecently beautiful women made their way over to the dining area, Michiru sighed before levitating the assorted meals over. Even after all of this time, it was hard to believe that he was in a relationship such as this. He had fallen in love with Sango very soon after meeting her in the Feudal Era and had been grateful beyond belief that she returned his feelings. But when he had enchanted Kirara, making it so that she could take on a humanoid form and even speak and so on, he had been even more surprised to find the two-tailed woman joining in on his and Sango's relationship.

 _I_ have _heard that what alts of me arrived in this world are popular with women; there's that alt of me who has Thor's hammer and wound up marrying his world's Urd, Peorth, and Lind. And I can't even believe how many women the Shikigami Ranger me is with! But even so...!_ Michiru then frowned and wondered, _For that matter...how does that alt of me even keep up with all of those women?!_

Pausing a moment and deciding that he ultimately didn't want to know the answer, Michiru then tried to rekindle his lost thread of thought. But ultimately, he couldn't get it back, and so decided to forget it in favor of more important matters. Such as enjoying what quiet time he could with the women he loved before the sheer insanity that was the Core Timeline did something to ruin it.

Michiru, Sango, and Kirara spent their morning repast casually discussing recent events, such as the successful completion of their Avengers Mansion, the apparent death and recovery of their leader, and the fallout from the sheer carnage caused by Joker R and more. But even as Michiru was about two-thirds of the way done with breakfast, a familiar electronic warbling sounded for his attention. Reaching into his belt, he then brought forth his Avengers ID Card. "Dr. Shikigami here."

"Doc, just the guy I wanted to talk to!" came the voice of Mari 'Captain America' Makinami even as her face appeared before him. "Listen, this isn't a rush order, but could you meet me in the Assembly Hall as soon as possible? I've got a job for you."

Michiru paused to consider the girl before him. On the one hand, she had done a decent job of leading them so far. But at the same time, she was energetic, overly eager for a fight, and sometimes pushed herself and everyone else around her too hard for their own good. _Kinda reminds me of InuYasha,_ he couldn't help but think with a sad smile, recalling the good friends that had disappeared from his life when he and the others had fallen into the Core Timeline. "Alright, Captain. I'll be there as soon as I've finished breakfast."

"Fine! Take your time!" Mari told him. "Knowing this crazy Core Timeline, this will probably be the only peaceful moment we have today!"

"Thanks for reminding. Dr. Shikigami out," Michiru muttered somewhat sourly before returning his ID Card to whence it came.

"I wonder what kind of job Mari has in mind for you," Sango remarked as they continued to eat.

"Hopefully, it isn't too strenuous," Kirara noted, waving her two tails about in a flirtatious manner.

"Well, as soon as I know, I'll let you all know," Michiru assured them. "For now...let's just enjoy ourselves before you have to go on patrol."

"Right. All of the local criminals and supervillains have been very active since the last Fourth of July," Sango muttered with a shake of her head. "And we still have to deal with our new recruits. And work out some plan of action so that the Avengers and the Champions can work together without trampling all over each other."

"That won't be easy," Kirara noted with a wrinkled nose. "Especially since Captain Makinami seems perfectly fine with trampling over whomever she pleases."

"I know. Here's hoping the others can keep her from going overboard." Then Sango muttered, "Or at least... _too_ overboard."

"Maybe I should invest in a few good miracles," Michiru joked, a remark that garnered muted chuckles from the ladies of his life.

As soon as they were done eating, Sango donned the uniform of a Centurion of the Xandarian Nova Corps while Kirara put on a black bikini. The two-tail wasn't fond of clothes and was much more comfortable in her own fur and nothing more, but accepted the bikini as the price to be paid to avoid complaints about public nudity. Not to mention fines and so on. As Michiru, he strode through the Mansion, studying the interior and thinking of what a difference it was between now and shortly before the Fourth of July.

Gone were the arguments and the infighting and the non-too-subtle demands that Mari be replaced with a more experienced leader. Gone was the haste and struggle to get the Mansion operational and ready for a fight. And most of all, gone was the more arrogant and duplicitous members of Avengers Infinity leadership that had helped sabotage the Chicago Branch's efforts to complete the Mansion in order to make that sure that a glass roof was put on the Extraordinary Avengers program. So that more traditional and 'trustworthy' Avengers who did things the way some people preferred would still be calling the shots.

 _There's sure been a shakeup at the Tower,_ Michiru thought as he entered the Assembly Hall. And was just in time to see Captain Makinami speaking to her surrogate uncle. _And here in Chicago..._

"So it's been confirmed?" asked the Steve Rogers that was the closest thing Mari had to an actual family in this Core Timeline. "Sylia was infected with a cyber-virus based on the Ultronbuster?"

"Exactly. One of the little projects that Goldie Musou got going when she got her claws into that Jerk Stark," Mari nodded with a heavy scowl. "I don't know how it happened, but she was able to infect Sylia with it sometime after she woke up from her coma and broke out of jail. She's been pulling Sylia's strings like a puppet for _months_ now." A beat passed before the Super Soldier added, "We're lucky that Goldie didn't make Sylia do anything overt, though I couldn't tell you if that was because she didn't have enough control or just didn't want people to realize anything was up. But she _was_ able to make her pull that stupid shit with the Fourth of July ceremony that had everything blow up in our faces, among other things."

"Goldie probably had some help on that front," Steve pointed out. "People like the Gentleman and Capone probably aren't too happy about having another big superhero team in town to make things difficult for them. But at the same time, they all hated Goldie, and -"

"I know, Xanatos Gambit. If Goldie screwed us up and wound up destroying our team, those mafia types won. If we killed off Goldie and made it stick, they still won. If she managed to get us and the Champions so pissed off at each other that they started fighting each other, they still won. And if pretty much anything else happened, then...ugh. They still won. Which profoundly sucks," Mari muttered sourly. "I'm just glad that we got that virus out of Sylia's system before that bitch Goldie was able to use her to bleed either the Champions or us for whatever she wanted!"

"As am I. Sylia's a hard woman, and I don't agree with some of her methods, but she and her company have accomplished a lot of good as well," Steve nodded. "Well, I'll be checking in on you later this month." A beat passed before he gave his surrogate niece a look and added, "And for God's sake, Mari; please try not to die _again._ I don't need that kind of stress."

"Don't worry, Uncle Steve. Dying sincerely sucks, and I'm not about to make a habit out of it," the younger Super Soldier replied. Glancing over at Michiru, she went on to add, "Anyway, business calls. Hope to hear from you soon, Uncle Steve. Mari out."

Steve nodded once before the hologram displaying his image disappeared. Leaving Mari to turn to Michiru and smile. "Hey, Doc."

"You wanted to see me, Captain?" Michiru began as he moved towards her.

"I did. I've got a very special assignment for you," Mari began even as she reached into her utility belt. Pulling something out, she held it up to Michiru. "Care to guess what these are, Doc?"

Pausing to study the small, green objects in Mari's hand, Michiru frowned somewhat. They looked a bit like lima beans, but there was a potent magic about them that he could sense as plain as day. "Are...wait," he began, leveling a disbelieving look at the Super Soldier. "Are these...senzu beans?"

"Got it in one. I talked Turnot into giving me a couple so we could try our hands at growing our own senzu plant. However, he warned me that it takes special knowledge and a serious green thumb to get these beans growing," Mari explained with a broad smile. "And since you know more about magic than pretty much everyone else here, and you've proven that you have a way with plants, I decided to put these beans in your capable hands."

As Mari held out the beans, Michiru considered them for a moment. "Alright," he said even as he accepted them. "But I have to be honest with you; even though I have had some success with the various plants in my garden, it's been a learning curve figuring out how each of them grows. And don't forget that some of their properties are altered here in the Core Timeline. They just don't work the same as they did in their native verses because of the differing laws of magic. It might take me a while to figure out what it will take to make this one grow."

"I know, I know. Just do you best. Get whatever info you need and so on," Mari assured him. "But given what a potent healer senzu beans are, you can understand why I want a big, healthy senzu plant."

"After what happened on the Fourth of July, I understand that perfectly well," Michiru grimaced, recalling how close the entire world had come to utter disaster. "Well...I think the best place to start would be the Indianapolis Champions. Perhaps they could give me some hints on how they grow _their_ senzu plants and -"

"Uh, they only have the one," Mari broke in. When Michiru turned a surprised look at her, she went on to add, "They didn't grow their plant. It came along with Commander Briefs and everyone else when they fell into this crazy world."

This took Michiru by surprise. "But - senzu beans can instantly heal virtually any wound! Even regenerate lost limbs! Surely, they would have used the beans they harvested to grow more senzu plants!"

"If they tried, Turnot didn't tell me about it." Then Mari gave Michiru a goofy grin and added, "And don't worry, I won't go for that lame joke."

A beat passed before Michiru groaned in realization. "I...appreciate that..." he muttered, rolling his eyes at the Captain's sense of humor. "But - even so, they must have tried! And - there have to be other senzu plants out there! Greenhouses, gardens...!"

"As far as I can tell, the only other senzu plant in Coreline is in the Korin's Tower that landed here," Mari informed him, furthering Michiru's surprise.

Several seconds passed as Michiru stood blinking at Mari. "Wait - so hold on!" he began, wanting to make certain that he was hearing what he thought he was hearing. That he hadn't spontaneously lost his mind. "So...what you're telling me is that we have these beans, which can not only serve as a phenomenal source of food, allowing a person to survive for _months_ on a - what, a handful?! - but can also instantly heal virtually any injury...and _nobody's_ ever tried to grow more than just these two plants?!"

"That's what I've heard," Mari confirmed with a nod. "Heck, I've even heard of worlds where the senzu plant has gone extinct because the one and only plant got wiped out or whatever."

A few seconds passed as Michiru struggled to process this. Right before he exploded, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my entire life!"

"Well...I've heard worse, but not much. So...yeah. I agree that that's just dumb," Mari confirmed. "And people wonder why sometimes I feel like the only sane person in a world full of idiots? Present company excluded, of course."

Not even bothering to pay attention to that last part, Michiru sighed and frowned. "Well...then I guess the place to start would be at Korin's Tower. I'd have to figure that an alt of the senzu plant's caretaker would know more about growing them than anybody else."

"My thoughts exactly. Take Yamcha with you when you go; he's a DB, so he should be able to blaze a trail for you." Then Mari frowned and added, "Just do me a favor and keep him away from any Saiyans! _Especially_ alts of Goku! Understood?"

"You don't need to tell me, Captain," Michiru assured her. "I've already seen Yamcha's psychological profile and I know all about his problem with Saiyans."

"I figured, but I decided not to assume. Because we all knows what happens when you're stupid enough to 'assume'," Mari declared with a roll of her eyes. "And just so you know, when you're ready to get started on growing our new senzu plant, I've already made our slush funds available to you. And you have my permission to use whatever resources and Avengers you might need to help with this."

"Thanks. I might need all the help I can get before this is over," Michiru admitted even as he studied the beans in his hand. "I'll get Yamcha and we'll leave immediately."

"You do that, Doc!" Mari beamed happily. "Just do whatever you have to in order to grow us a big, healthy, and plentiful senzu plant that will grow us lots and _lots_ of beans!"

"I'll do whatever I can, Captain," Michiru assured her even as he left the Assembly Hall.

* * *

"Wow..." Yamcha breathed even as he flew on the winds, a faint ghost of a smile on his lips as he studied the terrain below. Michiru flying a short distance away, carried aloft by his Cloak of Levitation. "This looks so much like home. You know...the way it was before..."

Noting the scowl that crossed Yamcha's face, Michiru decided to distract him from his hatred of Saiyans. "Maybe we'll run into some alts of friends of yours," he suggested. "There's bound to be plenty wandering around."

At this, Yamcha frowned thoughtfully. The Core Timeline was filled with so much crazy that there was absolutely no way that it could all be squeezed onto a single planet. But when the Vanishing happened, it had been split so that there existed numerous sub-dimensions, each containing entirely different Earths that were amalgamated with aspects of the source worlds. And this pocket dimension was littered with aspects of worlds from various versions of the Dragon Ball universe. "Maybe, but...I don't know. It's...kind of weird. Everything's just so...different, and...it's just kind of freaky, how many different Tians and Krillins and so on that are out there. And...I'm not sure how they would react to...what I am, and..."

"I know how that feels," Michiru nodded, thinking of the various alternate of old friends he had met. People that were them, and yet not them. So many of which had never even heard of him, so much that was different. So much...

"Anyway, I'm really glad that we're doing this. Growing new senzu plants, that is," Yamcha broke in with a weary smile. "Back in my world, the Saiyans...they took over. Enslaved us, murdered us...and when they found out about the senzu beans, they stole the plant and forced the Korin of _our_ world to grow lots of beans all for _them!"_ Heaving a deep sigh, he shook his head and muttered, "If only we'd - wait! There it is!" At this, the werewolf in human form pointed ahead. "Korin's Tower! And above it is Kame's Lookout!"

As Michiru followed Yamcha's outstretched finger, the Sorcerer Supreme spotted the towering edifice looming closer. Actually a tremendous, living tree covered with stone plates, he could sense strange, mystical energies surrounding it. "I see it!" Michiru declared even as he scanned the surroundings. "I...don't see any guards, but...I _am_ sensing some very _powerful_ warriors nearby."

"No surprise there," Yamcha remarked. "The way I hear it, several alts of me or some of the others are always around here, making certain that no one can get close to either the Tower or the Lookout. Just in case."

Frowning somewhat, Michiru wondered, "Do you think they'll cause us trouble?"

"I'm not sure. Korin and the guardian have probably already noticed us. I'm sure they're checking us out and making sure that we're not here to cause any trouble," Yamcha explained. "If they don't feel we're a threat, we won't have any problems." Then he frowned somewhat and added, "But if for any reason they think we're trouble, then we'll be _in_ for trouble!"

Nodding at the werewolf's words, Michiru continued to fly alongside his fellow Avenger. Always on the lookout for anything that might look like trouble and preparing himself for the possibility of battle.

Luckily enough, whatever forces that ruled the Sacred Land of Korin apparently felt that the two Avengers were no threat. Whatever protectors stood ready did not show themselves, and Michiru and Yamcha met with no resistance as they flew up the great length of the living tower. Before long, they finally found themselves at the very top and entered the Tower proper.

"Hmm...I don't see a doorbell," Michiru admitted as he studied their surroundings. "Should we knock, or -?"

"Hey, Korin!" Yamcha yelled, cupping a hand to his mouth and knocking Michiru off-kilter. "Are you here?! Hello, is anybody home?!"

As Michiru recovered, he gave Yamcha a withering look and grumbled, "Or we could just yell our heads off..."

"Hey! Who is that?!" came a rough and rude voice. Starting at this sound, Michiru looked about and was greeted by the sight of a short, scowling man who was quite obese and had a katana at his side. "Huh? Yamcha, and - who's that?"

"Oh...it's Yajirobe," Yamcha muttered with a sense of disdain. "Yeah, I'm a Yamcha alt. And that's Michiru Kururugi, also known as Dr. Shikigami. We're with the Avengers, and we're here to see Korin."

"That's right," Michiru confirmed, coughing into his clenched fist as he frowned at Yamcha's manners. "Uh, is Korin here right now? It's very important that we talk to him."

Snorting loudly, Yajirobe muttered, "Figures you want to see Korin. Nobody wants to see me, after all!" The fat martial artist turned in disgust and marched out of sight. "I do all of this work, and what do I get?! _Nothin'!_ This is just such a pain, and...!"

As Yajirobe left, Yamcha groaned and scowled. "It just figures that we'd run into an alt of that useless tub of lard here...why Korin puts up with him...!"

Somewhat surprised by this attitude, Michiru wondered, "Is there a problem?"

"Huh? Oh...not really, I guess," Yamcha scowled, his eyes flashed a baleful yellow as he looked away. "It's just that in my home verse, Yajirobe - he was just so _worthless!_ Always running away from the Saiyans, only showing up when he thought that we had food, never doing _anything_ to help! I was honestly _glad_ when that bastard Nappa blew that fat coward to bits! Did us all a _favor,_ if you ask me!"

Wincing at this harsh statement and hoping that none of the residents of Korin's Tower heard it, Michiru replied, "Just be careful what you say. We're here for help, and we won't get any help if we antagonize Korin or Yajirobe. So please, watch yourself and -"

"Well, hello there," an unfamiliar voice broke in. Looking about, Michiru watched as Yajirobe appeared again, this time accompanied by what could be best described as a chubby white cat with a staff. "I know Yamcha, even if I haven't met _this_ Yamcha. But you are...?"

"Michiru Kururugi, though I'm also known as Dr. Shikigami," Michiru introduced himself. "Yamcha and I are both members of Avengers Infinity."

Nodding to this, Korin then asked, "And what brings you here?"

"I came looking for advice." Michiru then set about explaining how they had acquired a few senzu beans and Mari's orders. "I know that senzu plants are difficult to grow. Almost impossible unless you know what you're doing. But you've been tending to your senzu plant for - well, a very long time! So I was hoping that you could tell me how we could grow a plant of our own."

A few seconds passed as Korin considered the two Avengers. "Well, I certainly know how to grow senzu beans." Then he promptly turned about on his heel and added, "But I'm not gonna tell you."

The instant this was said, both Avengers Face Faulted with the best of them, with Michiru almost crashing to the floor before his Cloak of Levitation saved him. "What?! Are you _kidding_ me?!" Yamcha roared, his eyes again turning a deadly yellow. "But why not?! You of all people knows better than anybody how special those beans are!"

"Precisely. And it's _because_ they're so special that I'm not going to tell you how to grow them," Korin declared in a tone of finality. "The senzu plant and the beans it grows are sacred. They're known and renowned for the blessings that they convey. But if there were suddenly a whole lot of them...well, they wouldn't be so special anymore, now would they?"

 _"That's_ your excuse?!" Yamcha snarled hatefully. "Of all the stupid -!"

Holding out his arm in front of Yamcha, Michiru broke in with, "Korin, I can see how that would make sense, but...I'm afraid that I'd have to disagree with you. Senzu beans have a great power for healing and feeding those in need. That alone makes them special and something to be prized. Even if there were many more of them, that wouldn't change."

"He's kinda got a point there," Yajirobe rudely tossed in. "Besides, you've been giving that same lame excuse to everyone who's dropped by here, looking for advice on how to grow these beans! Even after hearing about what's happened in worlds where the senzu plant's been destroyed, you still won't help anybody grow their own! And I still don't get _why!"_ A beat passed before he added, "After all, if people could grow their own, they wouldn't come here all the time. It'd sure be a lot less trouble..."

"But what happens when people can grow their own?" Korin shot back. "Even I don't know everything that the senzu beans can do, and I've been caring for my plant for _centuries!_ So what happens if some lunatic comes up with a way of using them to make some doomsday virus or worse?"

"That's a potential danger, Korin, but even if you don't teach us how to grow more senzu plants, that danger will still exist," Michiru pointed out. "If anyone were to come here and steal your plant, then they would be free to use those beans in any way they want. And even worse, you would be out those senzu beans, and so would the people who come here and depend upon that plant."

"Yeah! And besides, we're _Avengers!_ You know, as in the _good guys!"_ Yamcha irately added. "You really think that we would do bad things with those beans?!"

"I'm not saying that you would do anything wrong. At least, not intentionally," Korin replied in a cautious manner. "But even so, that doesn't stop you from doing something thoughtless or stupid. And I won't risk -"

"You want to talk about _risks?!_ Fine! Let's talk about risks! Like the kind of risks when you don't have a way of saving people's lives, you stupid little - _grrraargh!"_ Yamcha snarled before rushing forward and grabbing Korin by his shoulders. The ancient cat issued a squawk of dismay as Yamcha's canines lengthened into fangs. "Read my mind!"

"Huh?!" Korin sputtered in surprise. "But - why -?!"

"You want to talk about risks?! Then look inside my head! _See_ what happened in _my_ world when _our_ senzu plant was stolen and we didn't have any beans! See what happened when we were stuck watching good people die from injuries that _could've_ been healed if we had had more than just the _one_ plant!" Yamcha roared, a light coat of fur rising up from his skin. _"Looook!"_

Michiru hesitated, his hand raised and a spell on the tip of his tongue if it proved to be necessary. But even as the magician marshaled the forces of nature and beyond, Korin heaved a deep breath and furrowed his brow. His eternally narrow eyes seeming to narrow even further as a deep, penetrating silence reigned supreme.

The silence was broken by a horrified gasp. A gasp that was followed by Korin falling from Yamcha's hands, his white fur seeming to pale even more, his staff falling from his hands. Then he fell on his tail, shuddering visibly at whatever he had experienced.

"Wh-what?!" Yajirobe started, the cowardly swordsman having recoiled from the partially transformed Yamcha. "What's going on?! I - Korin?! Wh-wh-what did you see in there?!"

Korin didn't say anything in response. He just sat there, gasping in breath after precious breath. Until at last he gulped loudly and again looked at the two Avengers. "Just...promise me that...you won't turn the beans into a weapon, or...or something else. And that you won't tell...anybody else...what I'm about to show you."

"I - yes, of course," Michiru nodded even as Yamcha's incomplete transformation slowly reversed itself. "But -"

"Then...I'll tell you what...you came here to learn..." Korin shakily replied, his tail twitching sporadically.

"What's going on?!" Yajirobe demanded crossly. "I - look, whatever was in that guy's head, it couldn't have been _that_ bad, right?! I mean, we've seen worlds where the Androids took over, worlds where...just how bad was it, anyway?!"

This time, Korin turned towards the stout swordsman. "Pray you never know how bad it can get, Yajirobe," the ancient cat stated, looking far more ancient now. "Pray you _never_ do..."

* * *

"Well, that's mission accomplished," Michiru mused as he and Yamcha emerged through the portal that led back to the central dimension of the Core Timeline. "I don't know what it was that got Korin to change his mind and I probably don't _want_ to know -"

"Trust me, you don't," Yamcha declared with a low growl.

Pausing to heave a sigh, Michiru nodded. "But at least we got we need to know. So now I can really get to work." Then he frowned in thought, "Still...Korin made it clear that growing a senzu plant won't be easy. So even though we now know _how_ to grow them, we're going to have to do everything possible to provide the best possible growing conditions." A beat passed before he added, "Besides, Captain Makinami made it clear that she wanted a _big_ senzu plant. And I don't want to have to deal with her nagging me if I fail to deliver."

"Yeah. She _can_ get pretty pushy," Yamcha agreed good-naturedly.

Nodding, Michiru considered the matter. "So the first thing I need is to make sure that I can give our senzu plant the perfect environment for it to grow in," he declared. Then he smiled slightly and added, "And I think I know where to start..."

* * *

"Well, well, this is a surprise!" declared the alt of Washu Hakubi who was president of Hakubi Customs, a provider of weapons and machines and other high-tech solutions to serious problems. "It's not often I get a call from the Avengers. What, did the local Tony Stark have a breakdown and finally admit that he can't out-genius me?"

"Not exactly. The fact is, the Captain America heading up our branch wants me to grow a very rare plant with mystical properties for her, and I need something special that I'm hoping that you can provide," Michiru explained as he moved about the confines of his magical garden, along with three shadow clones of himself who were tending to the various plants, herbs, fruits, and so on that he had cultivated for the Avengers. "Unfortunately, this plant is very difficult to grow. But then I thought that Juraian environmental units would be ideal for this sort of situation."

Pausing to consider this matter, Washu soon decided, "Well, the Juraians do know a thing or two about growing plants. But you do realize that what works for one of their space trees might not work for whatever it is you're hoping to grow."

"I know," Michiru admitted. "But - well, would it be possible for you to adjust the environmental unit? Calibrate it so that it would create an ideal environment for a particular plant?"

"Of _course_ it'd be possible! After all, I'm not the greatest scientific genius in the whole universe for nothing!" Washu declared, grinning broadly as she jerked her thumb at her. "Just fill out the paperwork, and I'll get to work on getting the unit! I'll even handle whatever modifications are needed once I deliver it to you!"

"Thanks. I appreciate that," Michiru replied even as he filled out the specifics of his order.

Once everything was done and the money transferred, Washu grinned again. "Great doing business with you! I'll be sure to call you as soon as I've gotten that environmental unit!"

"Right. I'll be waiting to hear from you," Michiru replied just before Washu's image disappeared. Leaving him to sigh heavily. "Well, that's one hurdle taken care of. Now all I have to do is - huh?"

Starting at the sound of his Avengers ID Card, Michiru plucked it out and studied it. "Uh - Captain? What is it?"

"Hey, Doc!" Mari grinned broadly as she studied the magician. "Hate to bother you -"

"No, you don't," Michiru broke in, giving the Super Soldier a look.

"You're right, I don't. I was just being polite," Mari admitted with a nod. "Anyway, JARVIS just informed me about you making a purchase from Hakubi Customs. Do I take this to mean that progress is being made?"

Heaving a deep sigh, Michiru replied, "Yes, Captain, progress is being made. Korin told me everything I needed to grow a senzu plant, and I was just purchasing an environmental unit to grow it in. And next, I'm planning on getting some fertilizers and more for growing a senzu plant." A beat passed before he added, "And with all due respect, that would be going a lot more smoothly if I didn't have to deal with you hovering over me."

"You're right, you're right. Sorry about that one," Mari replied. "But it's good to hear that you're making progress, Doc! Keep me updated! I'm looking forward to seeing a great big senzu plant!"

"Right, I'm working on it, Captain," Michiru assured her even as she disappeared from view. Leaving him to groan tiredly. "I still wish you would cut it out with the micro-managing, though." Shaking his head and wishing she would settle down after everything that had been happening, he went on to say, "Well, if it's a big senzu plant she wants, then that's _precisely_ what she's going to get!"

* * *

"Ugh...this is horrible!" Mana groaned heavily as she hovered in mid-air in her Iron Maiden armor. She was using some kind of apparatus attached to her armor to gather up the foul substance that she and Michiru had come so far to acquire. "Even in my armor, I _swear_ I can smell all of this shit!"

The shadow clone of Michiru tried to respond but soon broke into a coughing fit as he kept his distance. Contenting himself to stand back and observe as his armored colleague worked to gather up what was literally shit. "Yeah...Xanthian dragon dung...is pretty noticeable stuff..." A beat passed before he added, "But it's also...excellent fertilizer. I mean - just look at that!"

With that, clone Michiru gestured towards a nearby hypno gourd. It looked much like a squash with a peephole in it. But as it had taken root in dragon's dung, it had grown tremendously, so much so that the peephole was large enough for a human to enter it. Physically enter the world of dreams that the hypno gourd could pull a person's mind and soul into.

"Okay, so it makes for great fertilizer. What _I_ don't get is why you needed _my_ help to get this crap!" Mana admitted. "And for that matter, why haven't you been using your magic since we got here? After all, you're a magician, and this is a magical land, so why -?"

"I can't...it's too dangerous..." clone Michiru groaned as he held up his Cloak of Levitation to his mouth. Trying to filter out the mind-bending stench. "The Kingdom of Xanth is filled with the mystical energies released by the Demon X(A/N)th. His magical power permeates everything here, even causing those born here to be born with magical talents, sort of like mutations. But those talents are completely dependent on the magical ambiance found in Xanth in order to function. As for me, the magic I use functions outside of the heightened magical energies here. Which means that my powers are even stronger here than they would be back home."

Pausing to turn her armored gaze towards him, Mana asked, "And again; _why_ aren't you using your powers here?!"

"Because...the power boost here might make that...catastrophic!" clone Michiru replied. "I - here, I'll show you! Shikigami attack!"

With that, clone Michiru conjured up the tiniest whiff of a fireball that he could. The absolute weakest spell he could conjure.

Which turned into an absurdly massive fireball that flew into a large clutch of trees and caused them to explode and then _melt_ into a horrendous puddle of goo.

"Holy -!" Mana jumped in shock, the still-burning flames reflected upon her faceplate. "That - that was _huge!"_

"I know. It was also the weakest possible magic I could use. So imagine if I was to actually cast any _true_ spells," clone Michiru agreed. "And while I'm a shadow clone...I don't want to think about what such magic would do to anybody or anything around me."

Pausing to consider this, Mana then wondered, "Well, if your powers are too dangerous to use here, then why do you have to come here at all, even as a shadow clone? I could have gotten this shit myself."

"You don't know the rules of Xanth. It's logic barely qualifies as logic at all. And without someone who _knows_ magic and how this place works, you'd get lost or in trouble or worse _very_ fast," clone Michiru explained. Then he glanced down at the DynoCap he had brought with him. A capsule made by Capsule Corps, one that contained a great treasure. "Besides, I _had_ to come and stop by Mount Parnassus and see the Tree of Seeds and collect a few specimens from it. It contains seeds for all kinds of magical plants that could come in very handy. And there are other potent and useful plants to be found in Xanth that I'm hoping to adapt and cultivate so that they can grow outside of the extreme levels of magic here." A beat passed before he added, "I really should come back some other time. I understand that the Good Magician Humphrey is extremely knowledgeable about magic. Perhaps we could exchange information."

"Whatever you say, Michiru. All I want to do is get out of here and get this armor to the cleaners as soon as possible!" Mana groaned in disgust.

"And that's why I sent a shadow clone instead of my own body," Michiru informed her with a trace of smugness. "At least I won't have to worry about having to wash this stench off of me when -"

A huge shock ran through the ground, very nearly sending Michiru crashing to the earth. As Mana was hovering above the ground, she wasn't affected. But she was definitely freaked out. "Whoa...what the...?!"

"I'm...not sure what it was!" Michiru admitted as he scanned his surroundings. His magical senses so overwhelmed by the energies of Xanth that he couldn't process any useful information that way. "Scan the area! There might be dragons or worse nearby!"

Making a thoughtful noise, Mana soon reported, "I'm picking a large humanoid. _Very_ large, and heading this way!"

Groaning in his throat, Michiru replied, "That could be an ogre, Mana. Very strong, very stupid, and _very_ dangerous! We better move!"

"No arguments here!" Mana declared even as her dung collecting apparatus folded up onto her armor's back. "The sooner I can get back to my nice, safe lab, the better!"

Without another word, Mana turned and scooped Michiru up in her arms. The armored Avenger launched herself and the magician up into the air even as a monstrously ugly creature emerged from the words and snorted his surprise. "Me see metal she!" was all the ogre had time to say before the two Avengers made themselves scarce.

* * *

"I don't believe this!" Michiru groaned as he soared through the air with the aid of his Clock of Levitation. Casting bolts of eldritch energy at the numerous vines and killer plants trying to ensnare him. "I thought I was meeting up with a Pamela Isley alt that had gone _straight!"_

"You were! But when I got word that a Sorcerer Supreme with powers over plants and more was coming to Gotham, I couldn't resist knocking her out and taking her place!" retorted an alt of Poison Ivy that had most definitely _not_ gone straight. _"Especially_ when it's an alt of the same boy that I had _almost_ gotten into my thrall once before!" Groaning in dismay even as Ivy sent some potent dust in his direction, Michiru quickly conjured a magical wind to deflect the attack. "As soon as I get my spores in you, all of your lovely magic will be turned to helping Gotham go green! _Literally!"_

Groaning heavily, Michiru summoned the power of his Shikigami. "You've got big ambitions, Ivy! Too bad you don't have a chance of making them happen! Towering green wood of the Seven Rings of Raggadorr! Turn her assault into my own!" As a magical snake erupted and encircled Michiru, it transformed into seven mystic rings. Rings that absorbed the botanical assault unleashed upon him by Ivy...but also immediately giving him complete control over her plants. "Now, Ivy, it's time for a taste of your own medicine!"

"Wha- _no!"_ Ivy shrieked even as her own plants turned on her. Before the crazed botanist could do more than panic, her own vines and more had ensnared her, tangling in living cables that were stronger than steel. "Ahhh - how _dare_ you turn my poor babies against me!"

"You attacked me first and then expect me _not_ to defend myself?!" Michiru asked incredulously as he guided himself and the now-captive Ivy back down to the streets of Gotham. "You really _are_ crazy if - _ack!"_

Suddenly, two massively powerful arms wrapped about Michiru's frame, pinning his arms to his sides and squeezing the air from his lungs. All the while Ivy smiled poisonously, already working to free herself from her living chains. "Maybe, but I'm still smart enough to know that there's strength in numbers! And that's why every Poison Ivy action figure comes with _him!"_ Groaning in pain, Michiru glanced over his shoulder. Just enough to be able to look up into the luchador-masked face of an alt of Bane. And judging from the way his eyes were glowing, he had already gotten a heavy dose of Ivy's mind control spores. Arms thicker than Michiru's torso were wrapped about the Sorcerer Supreme's body, denying him the ability to move. "Now hold that Squishy Wizard tight and be sure to cover up his mouth! I don't want him trying any of his old black magic until I've gotten under his skin..."

"Sorry, Ivy, but you're not my type! Oh, dauntless might of the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak! Empower me!" Michiru invoked before Bane's ham-sized hand was able to clamp down on his mouth. And with this invocation, a pentagram spun into existence behind his back, and from it erupted a mystical white tiger carrying with it the Crimson Bands. The magical energies of the tiger represented great strength, and the great beast roared once before sinking into Michiru's body along with the Crimson Bands.

Almost immediately, Michiru felt the power spreading through him. For while the Crimson Bands were typically used to restrain and confine enemies...Cyttorak was also the mystical being whose magical might gave power to those who wielded the title of the Unstoppable Juggernaut.

Beneath his loose garments, Michiru's entire body exploded. Within seconds, he grew to be twice as tall as before, his bones thickened monstrously, and his muscles swelled and bulged. His biceps swelled up to the size of beach balls, his shoulders thickened and swelled tremendously. His chest grew so massive it was like it was made up of steel cables, and his legs thickened to the size of tree trunks. And while this happened, armored bands similar to those of the Juggernaut appeared about him.

Bane immediately fell away, suddenly much smaller than his foe. Leaving Michiru to grab the masked muscleman by his leg and effortlessly heft him up into the air before smashing him back to the ground again. He did this a couple more times before grinning wickedly at a shocked Ivy. "Squishy Wizard, am I?" he asked in a dangerous growl before hurling Bane at the crazed botanist. Causing him to crash down upon Poison Ivy with a satisfying crunch.

As soon as he was certain that the immediate danger was over, Michiru released the spell and returned to his normal size. For although he was fully capable of temporarily wielding the power of the Crimson Bands, it wasn't something he could maintain for any great length of time. And the longer he did so, the more the corruptive influence of Cyttorak would prey upon him. Driving him to crush and destroy whatever lay in his way.

"Time to put you two in cold storage!" Michiru declared, bringing forth a pair of DISKs from his belt. Aiming the Digital Identity Securement Kits at the prone supervillains. "D-Secure!"

A few seconds passed as the DISKs did their thing, scanning and dissolving both supervillains and storing them inside much like a Poké Ball would. The DISK containing Ivy changed to purple, revealing her to be an Energy Class meta (doubtlessly because of her telepathic ability to control plants) and Bane a Power Class meta (due to his increased strength). "Well, so much for them," Michiru muttered even as he placed the DISKs back in his belt. Making a note to turn them over to the local authorities, he then muttered, "But what happened to -?"

"Right here, kid," came the voice of their team's Sergeant Slaughter, a former member of G.I. Joe graced with the strength of Hercules. As Michiru turned about, he saw the Sergeant marching towards him with what looked like an alt of Firefly hefted over his shoulder. "Sorry about the delay, but this bastard grabbed me by the leg and hauled me several blocks away before I could put him in his place!"

"That's alright, Sarge. I'm still alive, and I managed to capture Ivy and her cohort," Michiru assured him. "Now all I have to do is get back to Isley Botanical Labs. With any luck, I'll be able to find the Dr. Isley I talked to. I just hope she wasn't hurt or anything."

"Right, let's go." Then Slaughter grinned dangerously and drove his fist into his free hand. "And with any luck, we'll find even _more_ goons to pound on!" Issuing a low chuckle, the Sergeant added, "I could really get to like this city! It's like an endless supply of punching bags!"

"Uh...right," Michiru nodded before heaving a tired breath and starting back towards the lab.

* * *

"Shouldn't you take a break, Michiru?" Sango wondered even as she gently massaged the sorcerer's shoulders. "You and some of the others have been running all over Coreline, getting the things you need for this senzu plant!"

"I know, I know, but - I really want for this to be a success. Giving how easily senzu beans can heal injuries, I can see them doing us a lot of good," Michiru explained even as he worked their apartment's laboratory. Channeling his powers into a cauldron of various chemicals and more he had gone all the way to Cybertron in order to acquire. "Besides, we still have another day before Washu delivers the Juraian environmental unit, so I might as well spend some extra time getting everything ready."

"But you've already gathered so many different things for growing plants. And the places you've gone to get them...!" Sango protested worriedly.

"Don't worry, this was the last thing that was on my list," Michiru assured the Nova Centurion. "This substance is based on an organic core liquid from one of the different aspects of Cybertron. It's basically a super fertilizer all on its own."

"That may be," Kirara conceded as she studied the substance in question. "But it doesn't look like you've been able to make a great deal..."

"I know. This stuff is really tricky to make," Michiru admitted with a touch of disappointment. "But even so, the catalyst program I got as well should compensate. Everything I've read indicates that it will dramatically enhance the core fluid's growth potential."

"And that's another potential problem," Kirara mused unhappily. "Everything you've been gathering is known to cause plants to grow _dangerously_ large. If you use all of it on the senzu bean, the resulting plant might grow so large as to completely overwhelm the Mansion."

"I thought about that one as well," Michiru admitted with a nod. "But Korin told me that growing a senzu plant is very difficult, even when you know what you're doing. And besides, I saw the senzu plant at Korin's Tower, and...it was so _small!_ And Captain Makinami made it very clear that she wanted a _big_ senzu plant!"

"That doesn't automatically mean it's a good idea," Sango pointed out with a frown. "And while she might the head of this branch, she has a great deal to learn about being a leader. After all, that's why Captain Rogers assigned Slaughter and Panthro and the others here; to help support and advise her on everything so she could learn to be a leader and wouldn't try to handle everything by herself."

"I know, I know. But...well, to be honest, _I_ want a big senzu plant as well," Michiru admitted. "With all the chaos in this city and how many people get hurt or even killed by the lunatics they have running around here, having something that could instantly heal people would be a major help. And even though we already have the DISKs for situations like that, only people with a bio-code can use them. But senzu beans could be distributed to emergency medical personnel, and work instantly." When his words were met with silence, the Sorcerer Supreme looked about and continued to see skeptical looks on Sango's and Kirara's faces. "Look, I just want to help people! And it's not enough to just fight the bad guys and leave it at that! I'm not just an Avenger; I'm a _doctor!_ And -!"

"And you became a doctor because you wanted to help people. I understand," Sango quickly assured him. Then she used her superior physical strength to spin Michiru about so that they were facing each other. "I'm just worried that you might be trying a little _too_ hard, that's all." Then she gave him a playful smile before adding, "Or do you think that we've forgotten about what happened when you ran off to track down Utsugi alone because you didn't want to burden the rest of us anymore."

"Sango's right, Michiru," Kirara urged him. "You can finish making this organic core fluid later, once everything is in place."

"So until Washu gets here with that Juraian unit tomorrow, I want you to take some time off," Sango smiled...right before she engaged the clothing tesseract of her Nova Corps uniform and banished it. Leaving her completely bare as she embraced Michiru. "Let's go to bed for while. Rest and relax."

Pausing to study the beauteous woman who stood bare in his arms, Michiru smiled warmly. "Alright, I'll take some time off." Then he glanced down at the assets that were pressed against his own chest and added, "But I don't think I'll be resting or relaxing."

"Neither do I," Kirara mused with clear amusement as Michiru and Sango kissed each other. The first of many to be enjoyed that day.

* * *

"Whew! You've sure got quite a few fancy plants here, don't you?" declared the alt of Washu Hakubi as Michiru, Sango, and Kirara finished reorganizing his garden in anticipation of its newest addition.

"That's right. I started out doing some gardening back in my home verse," Michiru explained. "I met a half-demon named Jinenji who cultivated powerful healing herbs that my friends used sometimes. But with how long it took to get to where he lived, I decided to try my hand at growing some plants of our own." A beat passed before he admitted, "And thanks to my Wood Shikigami, I turned out to be pretty good at it. So when we...we arrived in this world, I started collecting various seeds and plants that I thought might be useful. Of course, I sometimes had to work on properly cultivating them in order to adapt them to the different conditions found in the Core Timeline."

"So I see," Washu declared as she studied some of the odd plants and fungus and other botanical artifacts to be found in the garden. "So what do some of these plants do? Like...is this spinach?"

"Uh, yes. Spinach from verses where Popeye alts come from," Michiru confirmed even as he studied the leafy plant. "Turns out that spinach from those universes is...especially potent. I've actually been experimenting with creating exercise supplements and strength boosters to help with training up the team. Getting them in better shape."

Making a thoughtful noise in her throat, Washu then looked at a patch of mushrooms. "And...according to the label, these are...mushrooms of time?"

"Uh, that's right. But be careful. If you eat one, your age will change in regards to the size of the mushroom," Michiru explained cautiously. "I'm hoping to harness the mushrooms to create a regenerative elixir. Something to reverse the aging process. One more controllable and useful than the mushrooms as they are."

"Whew...you sure keep yourself busy," Washu decided even as she worked the strange energy constructs that served as a laptop computer.

"Well...there are all kinds of magical resources to be found in the Core Timeline. As well as technological advances," Michiru said with a shrug even as he moved some plants he had found in the Mushroom Kingdom off to the side. "So we do our best to make good use of what's available."

"So you try to avert the Reed Richards Is Useless Trope, huh? Easier said than done at times!" Washu remarked even as she pressed one final button. "Annnd...here it is!"

An instant later, there was a distinct crackling as a rectangle of some kind of dark energy appeared at the far end of the garden. Lightning sparked and jagged as something that looked like a classic flying saucer emerged into the space made for it in the garden. And as Michiru studied the object in question, he took note of the fine, green earth at the center.

 _Excellent soil. Rich with nutrients and with just the right amount of moisture,_ Michiru mused with considerable pleasure. _All that's left to do is -_

"That takes care of the delivery!" Washu declared, brushing her hands together in a gesture of satisfaction. "Now all that's left to do is calibrate this thing to deliver whatever fertilizers you have here, and to give it the perfect environment for its new occupant!" At these words, the redhead frowned slightly before giving Michiru a sheepish look. "Uh...that reminds me...what exactly _are_ you planting here?"

"Huh? Oh, of course! I didn't tell you, did I?" Michiru remarked with a tinge of embarrassment. Making his way over to a small storage unit. the magician fetched out the three precious beans he had been given. "I'm planting senzu beans. Well, just the one for starters. I thought that, once I had grown the one senzu plant, I could plant a few more here alongside it."

"Ah, so _these_ are senzu beans, huh?" Washu noted with a raised eyebrow. "You know, I've heard of people trying to use Juraian technology to grow these things. But even with them, it never seems to go well."

"I know. There's a special trick to growing these things. And unless you know what it is, it's very hard to make them grow," Michiru conceded, again grateful that Yamcha was able to convince Korin to help them. "Fortunately, I was able to get some sound advice on the subject. And with everything I've gathered, we should be in good shape."

Nodding to this, Washu then wondered, "So you're only going to start with the one bean? You're not going to try to grow all three?"

"Not just yet. I'm hoping to get it right the first time, but if anything goes wrong, then I'll be able to fix it the next time I try," Michiru explained. "So...how are we going to calibrate the unit for growing senzu beans?"

"You leave that to the greatest scientific genius in the whole universe!" Washu smiled broadly. "You just round up whatever fertilizers and anything else you want to throw into the mix!"

"There's a great deal of competition for that title, but...you're better suited for it than I am," Michiru conceded. "Alright, let's get to work."

The better part of an hour was spent on making the final preparations for planting the senzu bean. Washu scanned the beans Turnot had given Mari and analyzed the various substances Michiru and the others had gathered to fertilize it. "Yeesh, you sure picked up some crazy plant food!" the redhead noted as she took note of the Flubber Gas to provide highly potent dry rain. "Know an alt of Professor Brainerd, huh?"

"Uh, I ran into him when I was tracking down things that could help with my garden some time after arriving in the Core Timeline," Michiru explain as he worked his magic within the confines of the Juraian environmental unit. "Although most of what I'm using right now are things that I thought were too difficult or dangerous to be worth getting in the past, and I've been able to handle every plant that I've tried to grow thus far with my magic. But given the kind of plant I'm dealing with now...I'm not pulling my punches."

"So I can see!" Washu noted as the last of the various concoctions and more was loaded into place. "Alright, that takes care of that! I've loaded the bean's genetic and mystical profile into the unit, as well as everything it needs about the plant foods you've collected! It's already determining the ideal environment for the best growth conditions! All that's left now is to plant the bean and watch the magic happen!"

Nodding to this, Michiru bent down on one knee. Summoning a small trowel, he dug up a small patch of earth. Then he carefully placed the senzu bean he had chosen in its new home before placing the soil on top of it. "There. All done," he declared even as a pentagram spun into existence at his feet. "Is the environmental unit online?"

"Online and already adjusting the environment to one ideally suited for senzu beans," Washu confirmed with a nod.

"Good. All that's left now is to provide my own special touch," Michiru declared before invoking the power of the Towering Green Wood. As the snake that was the spirit of the wood emerged from the pentagram, its power wrapped about the magician's hands as he reached out to the bean. And in his heart, he nurtured it. Called to it. Gave it his own strength to help it begin its new existence.

To give him a sign that all of his hard work had not been in vain.

Several seconds passed, and nothing happened. Michiru continued to pour forth his magic, reaching out with his mind. Using the knowledge endowed upon him by Korin, Stephen Strange, and all of his other teachers. He continued to call out to the tiny bean that lay buried beneath the soil.

Finally, after a seeming eternity, he began to feel life begin its course. He could feel the bean changing, roots shooting out of it and into the fertile soil. And as a warm smile spread across his face, there was a disturbance in the soil. Soon afterward, a tiny stalk broke free of the earth, spreading forth its leaves to take in the light being provided for it.

"Hmm...we need to adjust the light. Just a bit," Michiru mused, his Shikigami translating the bean's sensations into something he could understand. "Washu -?"

"The unit's already making the adjustments," Washu assured him. "And it's already routing all the plant foods you picked up to your new plant. So far, everything's looking good!"

"You _did_ make sure to program everything so that the bean gets a _minimal_ amount of everything?" Michiru checked, wanting to make sure that he avoided the disaster that Kirara had been concerned about. "And that it's programmed -?"

"To adjust the feed proportionately to the senzu bean's - er, _plant's_ growth without letting it go overboard! Of course!" Washu assured him. "You don't think that I'd overlook an important detail like that, do you?"

"It's best to make sure," Michiru replied even as he conjured forth a small raincloud and allowed it give the senzu sprout a quick, gentle shower. "Now, if you don't mind -"

Before Michiru could finish his sentence, the doors to his garden opened up, revealing Captain Makinami. "Sorry I'm late, Doc! I just got back from a run-in with Goldie Musou - _again!"_ she growled disgustedly as she brushed off her battlesuit. "And it's not's bad enough that she's back out on the streets and trying to rebuild her old empire of drugs and filth! Turns out that she's picked up some new help in the form of the Nerima Wreckers! And now she's -!"

"Uh, Mari, _please!"_ Michiru protested even as he interposed himself between Mari and the sprout. She was angry, and while there were those who said that plants couldn't sense things like anger, he wasn't one of them. "The senzu plant - it just sprouted, and -!"

"What - _already?!"_ Mari cried out, her annoyance immediately forgotten as a cat-like grin spread across her face. Without so much as a second thought, she floated up past Michiru and flew over to the senzu sprout. "Doc, I've got to hand it to you! You are one hell of a miracle worker!" she declared as she hovered next to the tiny plant. "I wasn't expecting to see any results anywhere near _this_ fast ! And now -!"

"Captain, _please!"_ Michiru pleaded, Mari's exuberance and bluntness making him think of InuYasha and Shippo in one body. Something that made a terrible combination when it came to delicate things such as some of his plants, and _especially_ newly sprouted ones. So he willed his Cloak of Levitation to reach forth and ensnare the Super Soldier and drag her away. "This is a new -!"

Mari gave a surprised squawk as she was pulled away from the new sprout, the shield on her arm digging into the dirt as Michiru removed her from the environmental unit. But he was brought up short in his efforts when a sudden blaring was heard. "What was that?!" he immediately demanded. "Washu -!?"

"Hang on, I've got this!" Washu declared even as she studied her holographic laptop. Furrowing her brows slightly, her fingers rained down upon the energy construct for a time before she looked at Michiru. "There was an energy spike of some kind. Not sure what caused it, but it happened at the exact moment that her shield touched the soil."

Michiru scowled as he considered the implications. Mari's shield was heavily enchanted and composed of metals that served to channel and amplify magical energies. And given the array of spells and more laid in place on the environmental unit, there was no telling how the shield might have affected it. "Is everything alright?"

"Looks that way," Washu confirmed even as she studied the data. "Both the bean and the unit seem to be perfectly fine."

"I'm not sensing wrong, either. At least now yet," Michiru admitted with a heavy frown. Then he turned a dark look at Mari, who groaned in her throat. "And Captain, with all due respect...I would greatly appreciate if you were to leave."

"I - look. I...my apologies. I didn't mean for that to happen," Mari quickly assured them. "I was just glad to hear that you were getting results, and -"

"I understand, Mari. But I'm still going to have to ask you to leave," Michiru declared. "I may have gotten the senzu plant to sprout, but it's still very delicate! I'm going to have to keep a close eye on it for some time in order to make certain that it grows up and is healthy!"

"But - look, if something _is_ wrong, then I helped cause it!" Mari protested. "So I should stay and help -!"

"Captain, the best way you can help is by leaving _now!"_ Michiru insisted, using the Cloak of Levitation to spin her about and shove her towards the door.

"What, you think I'm going to make things worse just by _being_ here?!" Mari protested with a bit more heat.

"In a word? _Yes!"_ Michiru declared as he continued to push her towards the door. "Now go! You might be in charge of the Mansion as a whole, but in terms of this garden and medical matters, _I'm_ the final authority! So move it!"

"Okay, okay!" Mari replied, this time with a touch of her normal attitude. "You don't have to get pushy! I can take a hint!"

"If you could take a hint, you'd have already left! Now get! Out! Out! _Out!"_ Michiru ordered, finally managing to shove the Super Soldier out of his garden.

As the door closed behind Mari, Michiru heaved a deep sigh. Washu made a clucking sound in her throat before muttering, "And _she's_ supposed to be your leader?"

Groaning at the unspoken implication, Michiru sighed and explained, "Captain Makinami _is_ technically in command, though the Steve Rogers that made the assignments also sent someone to deal with the administrative aspect of command, among other things. And on the battlefield, she _is_ a good leader." Then he made a sheepish face and added, "But _off_ the battlefield...she's a work in progress." A beat passed before he concluded with, "Let's just say that her greatest skills are making people mad and punching their lights out. Everything else..."

"Uh, I think I get the idea," Washu declared with a rueful chuckle. "Anyway, everything's looking to be fully functional."

"Thanks," Michiru nodded. "Any chance I can convince you to stay here for a day or two? Just to make sure that everything's functioning after...?"

Looking up at Michiru, Washu visibly considered this before saying, "Normally, I'd take off and tell you to call me if there's a problem. But there's something about that surge that's bugging me." Then she gave a smile and added, "Besides, it's been a while since I've had a chance to spend time in a place _this_ plush! And I _would_ like to talk about one of those plants of yours."

"Really?" Michiru frowned slightly. "Which one?"

"The spinach," Washu explained. "You said it came from the same universes that alts of Popeye are from. So does that mean that it increases your strength?"

"Yes, though the boost is only temporary," Michiru admitted. "I have been experimenting with different blends of fertilizer, assorted spells, and more in order to improve the quality of the spinach and my other plants. And I'm hoping that -"

"Uh, yes. That's fine," Washu quickly broke in. "My point is that I've recently been hired to gather various strength boosting agents, and - how about we talk about this over a cup of coffee?"

"Well, alright," Michiru nodded even as he opened the door once again. "But just so we're clear, I _refuse_ to allow any of my plants to be sold to supervillains, terrorist organizations, or anything else of that nature!"

"Relax. I don't do business with people who want to conquer the universe or anything like that," Washu promptly assured him. "Let's get some coffee and find someplace we can talk. _Preferably_ someplace where your captain _isn't!"_

Chuckling at this, Michiru admitted, "I...have to admit that it _is_ easier to get quiet work done when Captain Makinami isn't around." A beat passed before he added, "We can talk things over in my apartment. Then I can arrange a guestroom for you while you're here."

"Great, thanks," Washu replied with a nod. "And can you bring a sample of that spinach? I wouldn't mind testing it, just to check the quality and what effects it might have. Both good _and_ bad."

Deciding that this was fair enough, Michiru went over to his spinach plants and harvested a generous sample. Then he used his magic to bless the plants and help them grow back that which he had taken from them. "Will this be enough?"

"That looks like plenty," Washu confirmed. "So let's get a move on!"

Nodding in response, Michiru moved to escort Washu out of his garden. Still suffering a bad feeling about his new senzu plant...

* * *

The rest of the day passed as the Avengers went about their business, fighting the local criminals, training hard, and relaxing about the Mansion. Michiru and Washu talked about his spinach plants and the person she was buying for, everything seemed to be more-or-less normal.

However, deep beneath the surface in Michiru's garden, something _far_ from normal was happening.

When Michiru and Washu had set up the Juraian environmental unit to tend to the senzu bean, they had been very careful to calibrate it properly. Both machine and magic had been precisely planned and set up in order to ensure that bean would grow well, and if anything unforeseen happened, then Michiru would promptly be notified.

However, when Mari's shield had struck the Juraian soil, the unique combination of vibranium and uru in her shield had also interfered with the carefully laid spells and certain aspects of Juraian technology. And while it had not been immediately obvious, the interference set off by Mari's shield momentarily amplifying the mystical forces at work would not be long in building upon itself.

Making matters even worse was the fact that, while the various substances Michiru had gathered together were all potent growers of plants in and off themselves, he had underestimated what would happen when they were all used simultaneously. He had done tests on the combination of elements but had failed to appreciate just how potent they would become when combined with his magic. A potency that rapidly grew as the mystical forces altered by Mari's shield interacted with them.

The senzu sprout, already bolstered and primed by Michiru's Shikigami magic and the other mystical forces at his command, began to subtly mutate as it began to grow larger and faster than anticipated. The environmental unit, responding to the sprout's growth, started feeding it correspondingly larger amounts of nutrients. This in turn further accelerated the sprout's growth, forming a positive cycle of exponential expansion.

A couple hours into the senzu plant's growth, it was already as large as the plant kept in Korin's Tower. Pods filled with beans hung from the vines branching off from the central shaft. But it didn't stop there. As more of the potent brew of fertilizers and more were unleashed into the soil, the senzu plant swelled monstrously and continued to do so throughout the night...

* * *

"Good morning, Michiru," Sango cooed, the lovers embracing even as breakfast was delivered to their apartment. "I see you decided to let JARVIS handle breakfast today."

"Yeah. Those talks with Washu lasted a lot longer than I had expected," Michiru admitted with a heavy sigh. "Still, as long as she's sure about who she's selling to, I don't see any harm in giving her some of my spinach. She already agreed to pay us for it, and it would be a good idea to build a relationship with her company. You never know what you might need until you need it."

"Just so long as it _remains_ a strictly _professional_ relationship," Sango noted, her voice making it clear that she teasing and did not actually suspect any infidelity. "And what about the senzu plant?"

"It was off to a good start when I left," Michiru reported. "I _had_ meant to get back to the garden and check on it again, but between talking with Washu and having to take care of everyone that was hurt in that fight with the local version of the Sinister Six...I just didn't have time." A beat passed before he added, "Besides, Washu assured me that the environmental unit would alert me if anything went wrong."

"And are you sure that Washu's correct?" Kirara wondered with a knowing look.

"Well, she _is_ the greatest scientific genius in the universe. Or close enough to it that I'm not going to question it," Michiru replied even as he fiddled with the amulet binding the Cloak of Levitation. "But I'm going to check the garden just as soon as we've had breakfast, so -"

"Alert! There is a severe disturbance in the lower levels!" came JARVIS's voice. Staring at this, Michiru and the others looked up even as the AI continued with, "One of Dr. Shikigami's plants is growing out of control!"

Issuing a hushed gasp at these words, Michiru immediately realized which plant had to be the one causing trouble. At which his head slumped forward and he groaned in dismay. "Oh, _no..."_

"I don't think we can wait until after breakfast to check this out," Kirara noted.

"Neither do I!" Michiru declared even as a pentagram spun into existence beneath his feet. A dragon of light erupted from it, surrounding himself, Sango, and Kirara. An instant later, their comfortable apartment was replaced by the hallway Michiru's garden was located...and utter chaos.

"Hey! Lemme go, you -!" cried out the alt of Kazuma Kuwabara that was bonded with the Spirit of Vengeance. Presently, their Ghost Rider was being swarmed by a horde of massive fines, each of which was presently dropping pods of senzu beans. A heavy scowl marked his flaming skull as the vines carried him down the hallway.

"Yeah, back off!" ordered the Rex Salazar that was their War Machine even as he fired a series of missiles. Missiles that detonated savagely, blowing several chunks off of the vines...only for them to keep pushing forward as new growth replaced that which was destroyed.

As Michiru and the others looked on, the Sorcerer Supreme groaned in dismay once again. "Don't say, Kirara," he muttered sourly as he looked at the humanoid feline. "Please, just don't say it."

"I won't. But I _will_ ask if there's anything that can be done," Kirara coolly inquired.

"I should be able to stop the out-of-control growth! _Assuming_ that I can get into the garden with Washu so we can figure out what exactly went wrong!" Michiru declared as he pulled out his ID Card. "This is Dr. Shikigami to all Avengers! My senzu plant is growing out of control! We need to stop it before it overruns the Mansion! Avengers, Assemble!"

Even as Michiru sent this signal, more Avengers filled hallways that were getting more and more crowded by the second. Even as he, Sango, and Kirara were pushed back, Mari, Sergeant Slaughter, and Sokka appeared. With the Super Soldier grinding to a halt as she took in the massive senzu plant that was overrunning their home.

"Well!" Mari started, her eyes rounding behind her visor as she took in the massive senzu plant. "So _that's_ what Gone Horribly Right looks like!"

"Great! _Another_ giant killer plant!" Slaughter groused even as he grabbed hold of the vines approaching them and tore it apart. "I didn't like it when Cobra pulled this stunt, and I'm not liking it now!"

"Neither am I!" Kuwabara declared even as he tore free of the constricting vines. "Anybody got any ideas on how to handle this thing?!"

"I do!" Michiru assured them even as he floated towards Mari and the others. The massive senzu plant still pushing them back. "Captain, I need to get inside my garden! But I'll need help to do it! And I'll need Washu with me to make sure that we do this right!"

"Right! JARVIS, where's Washu?!" Mari harshly demanded.

"Already here, Captain! Though I...had a little trouble getting here!" Washu reported even as she came up behind them. And as Michiru and the others turned towards the genius, she looked at Michiru and added, "By the way, Dr. Shikigami? Your spinach works."

"Uh...so I see," Michiru mused, his cheeks coloring somewhat. Washu's head looked like normal, but her once slender body had exploded with massive mounds of muscle. Her thighs looked like tree trunks, her shoulders were the size of bowling balls, and a rippling six-pack graced her abdomen. As for her clothing, it had been reduced to little more than rags that were just enough to protect her modesty. "Uh, Washu, we -!"

"I know! I was on my way to check on the unit when I ran into your little senzu plant! And I already have a theory on what went wrong!" Washu hurriedly reported. "Listen, I can fix the environmental unit _if_ you people can get me in there! But as for the plant -!"

"I can handle the plant! But judging from what I'm seeing, I'm not sure how much room there will be to work with!" Michiru admitted, grimacing as he thought about what had become of his precious, quiet garden. "Captain -!"

"Sokka, can you shrink Doc and Washu down and get them inside?!" Mari tersely ordered even as she sliced apart another encroaching vine.

"I can definitely shrink them down!" Ant-Man declared even as he brought forth the sword slung on his back. "As for getting them into the garden, that's going to be trickier. How are the ventilation ducts?"

"According to CAESAR, they're completely filled with more senzu vines! This thing's completely out of control!" Rex declared as he and the others continued to be pushed backwards.

"Then I'll have to teleport us all in once we're shrunk down!" Michiru sourly declared. "Captain, if you can buy us some time -!"

"We'll keep this thing contained as best as we can!" Mari assured him. "Just get moving before we run out of Mansion!"

"On it!" Sokka declared as he tossed his sword up into the air. "Sword Ship, online!"

At this, the electronic sword transformed somewhat. Normally looking much like a typical Chinese straight sword or jian, it deployed small wings from the guard and thrusters from the hilt. And as it came to hover over Michiru, Sokka, and Washu, it projected beams that not only shrank them down, but also transported them into the sword...which also doubled as a miniature jet.

"Well...a sword that doubles as a ship! Not bad!" Washu remarked as she and the others appeared in the cockpit. "But, uh...you just call it a Sword Ship? Not exactly the most creative naming there!"

"Well, I _wanted_ to call it my Blade Ship! I thought that sounded pretty cool!" Sokka explained in a touchy manner. "But Ax objected to that name for some reason. Don't ask me why!"

"We can discuss names later! Right now, we need to get inside!" Michiru declared even as he conjured, again summoning the dragon that was his Light Shikigami. As the mystical beast surrounded the Sword Ship, they were momentarily blinded before the chaotic hallway disappeared. And in its place...

"Ohh...my poor garden...!" Michiru groaned despondently at the sight of his precious garden and the utter chaos that had befallen it. Plants were upturned and being crushed against the wall, supplies had been shattered, and the entire thing was being overwhelmed by the truly massive senzu plant. "I sure hope I can save my plants and -!"

"Hey! Look out!" Sokka cried out as he navigated the Sword Ship past another massive vine. "Uh, Doc?! You might want to try saving the angsting until _after_ we put your monster in its place!"

"Huh?! Oh, right! Of course!" Michiru nodded even as he moved towards Washu. "Now you're _sure_ you can fix the unit?!"

"Absolutely! Assuming you can get me to it! Whatever's happened has screwed up my remote access, so I need to repair it _manually!"_ Washu explained. "But that still leaves the plant itself!"

"I can stop it. All I have to do is to the root of the matter. _Literally!"_ Michiru explained as he eyed the environmental unit. And more importantly, the bulging roots that had erupted from the soil. "Sokka, let us off here! I'll fly us the rest of the way!"

"Sure, fine! You do that!" Sokka snarkily replied. "I'll just hang around and try my best _not to get killed by your monster senzu plant!"_

Ignoring Sokka's sarcasm, Michiru just watched as their Ant-Man opened up the access point in the floor. Carefully wrapping his arms around Washu, he then jumped out of the Sword Ship and descended towards the base of the senzu plant.

"Where exactly should I drop you off?" Michiru wondered as he flew with the aid of his Cloak of Levitation.

"Over there! There's an access panel I can use to get to the auxiliary controls!" Washu instructed even as she pointed towards the panel in question. "What about you? Are you sure you can stop this thing?!"

"Stop it? Yes! " Michiru assured her. "But stopping it _without_ killing might be a bit trickier! The first thing I need to do is neutralize the catalyst program I used on the organic core liquid! That'll _definitely_ slow it down!"

"Then drop me off so we can get to work!" Washu ordered the magician.

Nodding, Michiru descended just enough so as to drop Washu off at the access panel. "Are you going to need any help or -?!"

"Don't worry!" Washu declared as she slid her fingers into the crack between the panel and the casing proper. With a grunt of effort, the redhead forced the panel open. "I think I've got this! And by the way, I'm going to be buying more of that spinach off of you when this is over!"

"Here's hoping I can save that spinach and the rest of my plants before everything's said and done!" Michiru declared as he shot up into the air and headed towards the roots of the senzu plant. "First thing's first; I have to neutralize the effects of the catalyst program!"

With a few gestures and a few mystical invocations, Michiru cast his spell upon the senzu plant and the core liquid that was still feeding it. The result was near-instantaneous; as the electrochemical reaction calmed, the senzu plant's growth slowed dramatically.

 _But it_ hasn't _stopped!_ Michiru frowned unhappily even as he began working on another spell. "Sokka, come in! Do you read?! And don't you _dare_ try and make a pun out of that!"

"Relax, that one was too easy anyway!" Sokka jokingly responded. "So is there anything I can do up here other than fly around and look awesome?"

"Yes! You can shrink down some of my other plants and get them out of here!" Michiru ordered. "I want to save as much as I possibly can before -!"

"Ah-ha! That did it!" came Washu's voice. Starting somewhat, Michiru looked about to see the still-musclebound genius emerge from the access panel. "Something happened when your Captain's shield disrupted the spells you placed and the Juraian energies in the unit! It wasn't anything noticeable at first, but as it grew and magnified -!"

"Everything went out of control," Michiru nodded. Then he brought out his ID Card. "Dr. Shikigami to Captain Makinami! Has the senzu plant stopped on your end?!"

"Doc?! Uh, yeah! It's stopped! Well, mostly, anyway!" Mari replied, her image projected by the ID Card betraying her surprise. "But, uh...what happened?!"

"I'll explain later," Michiru muttered sourly as he looked about surveyed the chaos that had been wreaked upon his garden. "But right now, Captain, I have a couple things to say to you. First off, I'm going to need a new place to keep my garden in."

"Yeah! Dr. Shikigami's Monster has claimed this domain for itself!" Sokka chimed in, much to Michiru's annoyance.

Grunting in his throat, Michiru went on to say, "Secondly, once I have this new garden established, you will be barred from entering it without my express permission."

Groaning to herself, Mari admitted, "Eh, I guess that's fair. This whole mess is probably my fault, anyway."

"Not...entirely," Michiru admitted as he considered the mess surrounding him. "Because third; if I ever decide to start out growing a new plant by hitting it with everything I've got right from the start, _please_ stop me!"

* * *

Although the rampage of what had rapidly became known as 'the Monster' had only lasted a few minutes, the mammoth senzu plant had still managed to completely overrun much of the subterranean section of the Chicago Avengers Mansion. And even though the initial surge of growth had been brought to a halt, the Monster continued its natural growth, expanding into ventilation shafts, various hallways, and more. Anyplace where it could grow, it went. And with the Avengers having to tend to their normal duties, it took more than a week to get the Monster under control and clean up and repair everything that had been damaged as a result.

Michiru was given a new place for his garden, and plans were even drawn up for a proper greenhouse facility to be built in the future. And with the help of the other Avengers, he set to work converting some of the vines taken from the Monster into cuttings which he then, in turn, grew into much smaller senzu plants.

"And that's about the size of it, Uncle Steve," Mari reported as the Mansion returned to normal. "We've finally managed to get the Mansion back up to full operational status. And not only do we now have a _massive_ surplus of senzu beans, but Doc Shikigami now has a couple _dozen_ senzu plants here for us to give to the other Avengers branches."

"That's all excellent news, Mari," Steve nodded with a small smile. "Still, I think you should take a moment to reflect on what's happened. This isn't the first time that you've gotten overeager and accidentally made things worse. And while you _were_ lucky and turned this situation into something good, that won't happen every single time. So please -"

"Uh, you don't have to worry, Uncle. I've already gotten a serious lecture from Doc Shikigami on that one," Mari assured him. "Anyway, I'll be sending the smaller senzu plants to the Tower. I'll let you and the people there give them out to whatever branches you want to."

"Alright then, Mari," Steve nodded. "But what about _other_ hero teams? Have you considered giving some senzu plants to the Champions there?"

"Sure, that's on my To-Do List. Hopefully, they'll make a nice peace offering. You know, get both teams back on the right foot after everything that's happened," Mari assured him. "Right now, we're still making adjustments to Doc's old garden. Or as Sokka and some of the others have taken to calling it, the Monster's Lair."

When Mari failed to continue, Steve raised an eyebrow and wondered, "And...?"

* * *

"I don't believe this...!" Yamcha murmured as he studied the large barrel and its bounty. With a broad grin on his face, he scooped up dozens of senzu beans into his hands and stared at them. "Do you have _any_ idea just how many lives we could have saved if we had had _this_ thing back where I came from?!"

"Right now, I'm just glad that I was able to save the rest of my plants," Michiru grumbled even as he took another cutting from the Monster. All the while the Young Avengers helped out by harvesting even more of the senzu beans that were currently sprouting from the mammoth senzu plant.

"So am I," Washu noted even as she worked on the Juraian environmental unit. The genius had long since returned to her normal build, and Michiru had magically restored her clothing. Now she was working at her energy laptop, making a few more adjustments. "Anyway, that just about does it! The modifications I've made will guarantee that there won't be a repeat of that fiasco, even if your Captain and her shield gets too close to things she shouldn't." A beat passed before Washu narrowed her eyes and added, "I have to admit, I never realized that vibranium also amplifies magical power. Huh. Good to know that even a genius can learn something new."

"Well, _I've_ learned to take things more slowly. _And_ to keep Captain Makinami away from anything delicate," Michiru muttered even as he studied the barrels of senzu beans they now had. "What I would _like_ to learn now is what to do with all of these senzu beans we now have!"

"What are you talking about, what are we going to do with them?!" Yamcha demanded. "We use them, _that's_ what we'll do with them!"

"I know, but _how_ do we use them, Yamcha?!" Michiru demanded. "I don't want to leave them lying around to spoil! And even if I throw them in stasis...we still have _tons_ of senzu beans! And the Monster keeps cranking out _more!"_

"And that's just fine by me!" Yamcha decreed with a bit more heat. "I'd rather have too many of these beans than run out of them like we did in _my_ verse!"

"I'm just saying that I don't want any of them to go to waste, that's all," Michiru muttered somberly. "I'll have to spend some time, thinking about that one." Giving a slow shake of his head, he then looked at Washu. "By the way, Washu? Before this all started, you said you were interested in buying some of my spinach?"

"That's right," Washu confirmed with a nod. "Actually, I told my client about how I - uh, tested the stuff? And now he wants it more than ever! Is willing to pay top dollar for the stuff!" A beat passed before she added, "Heck, the only problem he had was that its effects were only temporary."

"Hmm. Yeah, I know. That's why I've been hoping to use the spinach as an ingredient in some new exercise supplements; the sudden growth and strength boost it triggers is substantial. But then it abates with only minimal residual benefits," Michiru admitted even as he studied the plants in question. "If only I had something else...something that I could combine with it and perhaps some other agents to make the growth and strength increase more permanent. Something that could easily fuel the development of stronger body tissues, muscle growth, and more. Something containing enough energy to -"

The metaphoric light bulb that exploded into existence above Michiru's head was so blinding he very nearly fell over. And when it subsided, he found himself looking at the senzu beans like they were glowing.

Washu then chuckled beneath her breath. "I've seen enough brainstorms in my time to know that you just got hit by a big one!" she declared with a wry smile. "So just do me a favor? When you start trying to make this particular brainstorm a reality, try and take things more slowly than you did with these beans?"

"Believe me, I'm _cured_ of pushing things too far and too fast!" Michiru promptly assured her.

"Well, that's too bad!" Yamcha declared with a wry smirk. "Because I'd say that pushing that hard and fast paid off _big-time_ for all of us!"

"So says the werewolf who _wasn't_ spending more than a week cleaning up after the Monster and growing more senzu plants from its cuttings! Not to mention taking care of all the plants that were damaged when it took over this place!" Michiru heatedly countered. Then he glanced between the senzu beans and the spinach a couple times before saying, "Still, I better to get work on this idea before anything happens and I manage to forget all about it!"

"Yeah, you do that," Washu nodded even as she dispelled her energy laptop. "As for me, I've got to get going myself. Have some business to attend to. And a client who really wants to test drive McKururugi brand spinach!" As a doorway opened in mid-air, Washu grabbed hold of several containers of spinach Michiru had prepared for her. "Keep growing these plants, Doc! I'll be in touch!"

"Sure, no problem!" Michiru assured Washu even as she departed. Once she was gone, he made his way towards one of the barrels and fetched out a handful of senzu beans.

 _Traditional protein powders use_ soy _beans_ _as a key ingredient,_ Michiru mused thoughtfully as he made his way back to his apartment. _So why I can't_ I _use a bean with a bit more...kick to it?_

* * *

Author's Notes: Just for fun, and to clear up some gaps in my other Coreline stories, I decided to write this. It's simple, just for fun, and I hope everyone enjoys.

Also, as a special note, this story contains a nod to Uruz 11's "The Shikigami User and the Gorgeous Goddess"; in particular, the alt of Michiru who has the powers of Thor and has married Urd, Peorth, and Lind. Uruz 11's story is where I got the idea. And let's be honest, I can definitely see Michiru being that kind of worthy.


End file.
